Sound attenuating device and supporting means in a helmet



J. A. AILEO April 20, 1965 SOUND ATTENUATING DEVICE AND SUPPORTING MEANS IN A HELMET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1965 INVENTOR. fic/mw 14 /4 /L0 BY EM/m W. M

Q1 am April 20, 1965 J. A. AlLEO 3,178,723

SOUND ATTENUATING DEVICE AND SUPPORTING MEANS IN A HELMET Filed May 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fic/(so/v 14, 4/4 :0

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the head of a wearer.

United States Patent 3,178,723 SOUND ATTENUATING DEVICE AND SUPPORTING MEANS IN A HELMET Jackson A. Aiieo, Carbendale, Pa., assignor to Leonard P. Frieder, Great Necir, N.Y. Filed May 24, 1963, Ser. No. 283,tl97 6 Claims. (Cl. 2-6) This invention relates to a helmet providing a rigid shell adapted to extend about and to be supported on The invention more especially relates to a helmet provided with a sound attenuating device which is supported by the shell adjacent the ear of the wearer. The invention particularly relates to means for supporting the sound attenuating device and for effecting movement thereof with respect to the ear so that it covers the ear or may be moved to a position away from the ear in which communication is provided be tween the atmosphere and the sound passage of the ear.

Helmets provided with a sound attenuating device supported by the helmet to cover the ear of the wearer have been proposed in various forms. In some of these helmets having a rigid shell the sound attenuating device, sometimes referred to as an ear cup, has been supported in more or less fixed position relative to the shell. In some cases the ear cup has been supported in spaced relation to the shell but with pad elements disposed between the ear cup and the shell. These pad elements have been made of such thickness that a plurality of them may be used and the desired disposition of the ear cup secured by inserting pads of the proper thicknesses between the ear cup and the shell. In some cases also the sound attenuating device or car cup has been suspended from the shell externally thereof for movement to and from a position engaging the ear of the wearer. In the patent to Frieder et a1. 2,786,102 issued March 19, 1957 is disclosed a helmet provided with devices which are called earphones which may include a conventional telephonic instrument having a magnetically vibrated diaphragm. The body of this earphone structure is made of a flexible elastic material, such as rubber, to provide resilience in the portion which extends about the ear of the wearer so as to insure a snug fit against the ear and the head of the wearer in order to close off extraneous sound which otherwise would reach the ear and to limit interference with the sound reaching the ear from the emitter or earphone instrument to which reference has been made.

The device of the present invention has a purpose similar to that of the Patent 2,786,102. The ear cup utilized in the invention, however, has a frame extending along the periphery of the ear cup. The car cup may have sufiicient rigidity to maintain its form but may be somewhat yielding. The periphery of the ear cup preferably is provided with a yielding pad of annular form extending about the opening of the ear passage and adapted to engage the ear or the head of the wearer to shut off extraneous sounds from reaching the ear. The structure of the ear cup in the device of the invention may be such as to serve to carry a microphone or other sound transmitting instrument.

The body of the ear cup itself may be generally of cup shape to contain padding or porous plastic, foam rubber or the like for deadening the sound reaching the ear cup as well as to provide for supporting an instrument, if one is disposed within the ear cup. Preferably the ear cup is provided with one or more tabs or straps extending from the periphery of the ear cup and carrying means for fastening the strap or tab to the wall of the shell. When two of these straps are utilized disposed at opposite sides of the ear cup, adjacent its perimeter, the

3,178,723 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 car cup may be moved with a tilting movement about a line joining the fastening means when, as is preferable, the straps or tabs are made of flexible material.

An important aspect of the invention relates to the provision of a resilient means between the more or less rigid ear cup and the interior surface of the shell of the helmet to bias the ear cup away from the shell to a position of engagement with the ear of the wearer. Within the scope of the invention this biasing means may be a helical spring disposed between the shell and the ear cup and connected to the ear cup, preferably adjacent the periphery thereof, to eifect the desired movement toward the car. In some cases, however, other resilient means may be used between the more or less rigid ear cup and the Wall of the shell to effect this biased movement.

It is another feature of the invention that means is provided which is connected to the shell and is connected also to the ear cup or sound attenuating device, this means being operable to move the ear cup away from the position of engagement with the ear against the biasing means to which reference has been made. As will be understood more clearly from the description of the drawings, this operable means may include friction means which serves to maintain the operable means in any of a plurality of selected positions to which it may be moved, thereby to hold the ear cup in a position spaced from the position of engagement with the ear.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be understood more clearly from the description of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a helmet embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view taken at the left of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the portion of the helmet adjacent the ear and looking toward the left in FIG. 1 from within the helmet;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 shows in section corresponding to FIG. 4 the ear cup in the position retracted from the ear of the wearer.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the helmet 1 is provided with a shell 3 which, in the embodiment disclosed, is formed of material molded or otherwise fabricated to produce a rigid shell which extends about the head of the wearer and is provided with side portions 5 which extend downwardly adjacent the ears of the wearer. The shell is provided with a conventional edging 7 along the contour of the edge of the shell about the opening thereof which receives the head of the wearer.

Within the helmet and between the shell 3 and the head of the wearer are supported sound attenuating members 9 which in this embodiment are in the form of ear cups extending about the ears of the wearer and engaging the side of the head to close off extraneous. sound from reaching the sound passage of the ears of the wearer. Each sound attenuating member 9 is constructed with a body or frame 11, FIG. 4, which may be rigid but preferably is made of somewhat flexible elastic material such as rubber which, however, is capable of somewhat stifily retaining its form so as to support a resilient pad 13, for example of sponge rubber, of annular form extending about the ear and engaging the head, as well as to receive and react to the forces of resilient means for retaining the sound attenuating member or ear cup in engagement with the head. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the body 11 in the embodiment is somewhat dished with curved peripheral flanges 15 extending from a flat central portion 17. This flat central portion also is provided with an annular flange 19 extending about an opening in the central portion 17, the flange 19 forming at the side of the central portion 17 away from the car a shoulder and recess with respect to the portion 17 for receiving a sound absorbing member 3 21, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In place of the sound absorbing member 21 which may, for example, be of sponge rubber or the like, a telephonic instrument may be inserted in the recess 18 formed by the annular flange 19 and the central portion 17 of the body 11.

For securing the annular pad 13 to the body 11 of the sound attenuating device, a wrapping of fabric. which may be of suedetype material 23 for soft contact with the head is wrapped about the annular pad 13 and stitched as at 25, 27 to the portion 29 of the wrapping fabric which ex-. tends along and in contact with the central portion 17 of the body 11. The peripheral area of. the wrapping 23 which engages the curved flangev 15 may-be held thereto by a suitable adhesive. The central portion 29 of the wrapping material also may be adhesively held to the central portion 17 of the body 11. As shown in FIGS. 4 and in the portion 29 is formed an opening 31 for communication between the member which is held in recess 18 by the annular flange 19 and the ear of the wearer.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 at the opposite side of the body 11 from the annular pad 13 is disposed an annular member or ring 33 having an upstanding flange 35 and extending about the annular flange 19 of the body 11. The annular member or ring 33 is disposed sufliciently outwardly from the central portion 17 of the body to be adjacent the position of the annular pad 13 so that the pressure brought upon thering 33 by the resilient means to be described will be transmitted through the outer part of the body 11 to the peripheral pad 13. The flanged ring 33 may be suitably fastened to the :body 11 of the sound attenuating member 9, if this body is made of a material suchas rubber capable of holding its form but somewhat resilient. The flanged ring 33 may be made of rigid material or on the other hand, it may be made of rubber capable of. resiliently holding its form. In either case the flanged ring 33 may be secured to the body 11 by adhesive or, if desired, by mechanical fasteners. a

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 a helical compression spring 41 wound upon a cone is disposed with a larger end 43 of the helix thereof in engagement with the flanged ring 33. The opposite end 45 of this spring of smaller diameter is disposed in abutment wtih a dished member 47 of circular form having a hub 49 projecting into a hole 51 in the shell 3. The hub 49 is tapped to receive the threads of a screw 53 entered in the, hole from the outside of the shell 3 and with its head in engagement with a lever 55 pivotably movable upon the shank of the screw 53. A washer 57 may be disposed between the lever 55 and the shell 3 upon the axis of the screw 53. Thus, by tightening the screw in the threaded hub 49 the head of the screw 53 will bear frictionally on the lever 55. The lever 55, moreover, is of'arcuate shape and of resilient material, for example, of spring metal, so that the opposite end portion of the lever 55 having a bulge 59, FIG. 5, bears upon an arcuate plate 61 extending about the axis of the screw 53 with frictional contact sufficient to hold the lever 55 in any of a plurality of positions to which it may be moved along the arcuate plate 61. The arcuate plate 61 may be secured to the shell by rivets 63, FIG. 2. This plate also may be provided with stop means 65 secured to the plate 61 for limiting the movement of the lever 55 along the arcuate plate. The lever 55 at the end thereof adjacent the plate 61 is provided with a small knob 67 which may. be grasped by the fingers of the hand for moving this lever to different positions with respect to the plate 61.

Adjacent this end of the lever at which the knob .67 is disposed a ball 71 is suitably securedto the end of a flexible metal cord 73 which is held in place with respect to the lever 55 by'a clamping member 75 which is fastened to the lever 55 by a screw 77. The cord 73 is passed through an eyelet 79 disposed in a hole 81 formed in the shell 3 and in a registering hole 83 in the plate 61. The eyelet 79 is riveted at its ends so as to serve also to secure the plate 61 to the shell. The flexible metallic cord 73 extends inwardly of the shell to its opposite end also carrying a ball 85 suitably secured to the cord 73 and engaging a socket 87 formed in the end portion 91 of an eyelet 89. The ball 85 in the socket 87 is held therein by the end portion 91 of the eyelet being bent over the ball 85. The eyelet 89 has an elongated slot 93 throughwhich is looped a fabric loop 95, the .two parts of the loop 95 being secured to the suede-like fabric about the lower portion of the pad 13 by the stitching 27 above mentioned.

Thus it will be apparent that, when the ball 71 at the outer end of the metal cord ,73 is moved by lever away from the eyelet 79, the cord 73 and the ball 85 acting through the eyelet 89 will draw the lower portion of the pad 13 away from the head of the wearer, thus to provide communication between the atmosphere and the ear of the wearer as shown in FIG. 5. Such movement is effected against the bias of thespring 41, compressing the spring at the lower side thereof as shown in FIG. 5. When the tension on the cord 73 'isrelieved by moving the lever 55 toward the eyelet 79, the spring 41 serves to restore the sound attenuating device 9 to the position shown in FIG. 4 with the pad 13 bearing against the head of the wearer to exclude extraneous sound. It will be understood that the movement of the cord drawing the pad 13 away from the head is effected by pivotally moving the lever 55 upon its screw 53 clockwise in FIG. 2 to a selected position with the bulge 59 bearing frictionally upon the plate 61 to hold the lever 55 in such selected position. When' the lever again is moved counter clockwise the spring 41 will draw the cord 73 inwardly of the shell and the sound attenuating member or ear cup 9 may resume the position shown in FIG. 4 against the head of the wearer.

To prevent engagement of the hand with the spring 41 and to exclude dirt and dust from accumulation about the spring and about the sound absorbing member 21, or the telephonic instrument if such is used, a flexible covering 101, which may be coated with rubber or plastic so as to be moisture and dust proof, is formed of generally conical shape with an inner flange portion 103 which is disposed between the flanged ring 33 and the body 11 of the sound attenuating device or ear cup. If mechanical fasteners are used, the portion 103 may be clamped between the ring 33 and the body 11. At the smaller end of the cone the reverted portion 1050f the covering is clamped between the dished member 47 and the shell 3. It will be apparent, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, that, while the covering 101 is of generally conical form when the spring 41 is pressing the sound attenuating device against the head, the lowerpart of the covering becomes folded, as shown in FIG. 5, when the lower part of the pad 13 is drawn away from the ear toward the left as described above. When the cord 73 is released by movement of the lever 55 counterclockwise in FIG. 2,

the spring 41 serves to extend the foldsto the conical form of the covering as in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the body 11 of the sound attenuating device 9 may be provided with lateral tabs or straps 107 provided with snap fasteners 109 which may snap upon the cooperating parts, not shown, of the fasteners which are secured to-the shell at the inner side thereof. These tabs and fasteners serve to hold the sound attenuating device in position with respect to the shell in addition to the support which may be provided by the structure which includes the flanged ring 33, the spring 41, the dished member 47 and the covering 101. The tabs 107 are disposed laterally and in such positions that the spring 41 may be compressed at the lower side thereof, as shown in FIG. 5, generally about the line joining the two tabs 107. In some cases, however, the tabs 107 may be omitted to provide for. somewhat greater flexibility of movement of the sound attenuating device 9, reliance for support being placed upon the structure which includes the flanged ring 33,'the spring'41 and the dished member 47 together with the covering 101.

Variations in the form and materials of the several parts of the device may be made Within the scope of the invention to suit different conditions and diilerent types of helmets while embodying the features of the invention which have been set forth above and disclosed in the drawings. All such variations are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A helmet enclosing a volume adapted to receive a wearers head comprising a shell with downwardly depending lateral portions at each side thereof, said downwardly depending portions being adapted to be aligned with the wearers ears when his head is received within the shell; a sound attenuating member located within said shell at one of said lateral portions and having an upper and a lower part; resilient means connecting said lateral portion and said attenuating member and biasing both said upper and lower parts of said attenuating member inwardly of said lateral portion toward the innermost portion of the volume defined by said helmet; adjustable means at the outer portion of said shell operable to a plurality of positions relative to said shell; and connecting means connected to the lower part only of said attenuating member and to said adjustable means so as to move the lower part of said attenuating member toward and away from said shell in response to movement of said adjustable means, with the upper part of said attenuating member acting under the action of said bias as a substantially fixed pivot during the movement of said lower part.

2. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises a generally helical compression spring, an upper circumferential portion of said spring biasing the upper part of said attenuating means, and a lower circumferential portion of said spring biasing the lower part of said attenuating means.

3. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises a generally helical compression spring having a small diameter end communicating with said shell and a large diameter end communicating with said attenuating member and substantially coextensive therewith, an upper circumferential portion of said large diameter end biasing the upper part of said attenuating means, and a lower circumferential portion of said large diameter end biasing the lower part of said attenuating means.

4. A helmet according to claim 3 wherein said connecting means connects a point on said lower attenuating member part and a point on said shell that are approximately equidistant from said upper part, so as to cause pivoting about said upper part without translational motion thereof when the length of said connecting means between said points is increased and decreased by said adjustable means.

5. A helmet comprising a shell adapted to receive the head of a wearer, said shell including downwardly depending portions at each side thereof, said downwardly depending portions being adapted to be aligned with the wearers ears when his head is received within the shell; a sound attenuating cup member adapted to receive the wearers ear; means flexibility supporting said cup member on the inside of one of said downwardly depending portions for limited movement away from said one downwardly depending portion; biasing means tending to move said cup member to its limit of movement away from said one downwardly depending portion; a lever pivoted on the outside of the shell and manually movable about its pivot; means operatively connecting the lower part only of the cup member and a point on the lever spaced from the pivot; said lever being adapted to be operable between a sound attenuating position in which the biasing means urges the entire periphery of the cup member away from said one downwardly depending portion and a position for communication with the ambient atmos phere in which said lever and connecting means cooperate to hold the lower portion only of the cup member toward said depending shell portion.

6. A helmet as defined in claim 5, comprising friction means for holding the lever in any position to which it is manually moved.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,805,419 9/57 Finken 23 2,858,544 11/58 Roth 2-209 2,867,812 1/59 Roth et a1. 2--6 3,021,526 2/62 Lastnik 23 3,028,602 4/62 Miller 26 3,091,771 6/63 Bixby 23 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,-178,-725 April 20, 1965 Jackson A. Aileo v ified that error appears irl the above numbered bat- It is hereby cert d that the said Letters Patent should read as ent reqliring correction an correctedbelow.

Column 6, linelS, for "fleacibilitywread flexibly Signed and sealed this l7th'dayoj'Augus t-l965.

(SEAL) Attest:

v EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents ERNEST w. SWIDER Altcsting Officer 

1. A HELMET ENCLOSING A VOLUME ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WEARER''S HEAD COMPRISING A SHELL WITH DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING LATERAL PORTIONS AT EACH SIDE THEREOF, SAID DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE WEARER''S EARS WHEN HIS HEAD IS RECEIVED WITHIN THE SHELL; A SOUND ATTENUATING MEMBER LOCATED WITHIN SAID SHELL AT ONE OF SAID LATERAL PORTIONS AND HAVING AN UPPER AND A LOWER PART; RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTING SAID LATERAL PORTION AND SAID ATTENUATING MEMBER AND BIASING BOTH SAID UPPER AND LOWER PARTS OF SAID ATTENUATING MEMBER INWARDLY OF SAID LATERAL PORTION TOWARD THE INNERMOST PORTION OF THE VOLUME DEFINED BY SAID HELMET; ADJUSTABLE MEANS AT THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID SHELL OPERABLE TO A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID SHELL; AND CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER PART ONLY OF SAID ATTENUATING MEMBER AND TO SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS SO AS TO MOVE THE LOWER PART OF SAID ATTENUATING MEMBER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SHELL IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS, WITH THE UPPER PART OF SAID ATTENUATING MEMBER ACTING UNDER THE ACTION OF SAID BIAS AS A SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED PIVOT DURING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID LOWER PART. 